Featured Reviews

Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

01 November,2018

The ‘Wild Earth’ brand was established by Quintin Quider
when he established Pinot Noir vineyards in Bannockburn and Lowburn in 1998 and
1999 with the purpose of producing first-class Central Otago Pinot Noir. Along his journey, Quintin expanded his range
to include white wines, and he has employed many of the best-known winemakers
in the region to make his wine. What is
remarkable is that the quality of the Pinot Noir wines, especially from the
Bannockburn site, has been very consistent, despite winemaker signature. Quintin attributes much of this result to the
clone 10/5 vines planted there. Quintin
has since sold his vineyard holdings and runs a successful restaurant-cellar
door-catering business on Kawarau Gorge, selling his wines made from contracted
fruit. He still obtains Pinot Noir fruit
from his original Felton Road-sited vineyard, and this remains in my opinion
his most consistent best wine. Quintin
has Jen Parr as his winemaker. Here, I
review the 2016 Wild Earth Pinot Noir. ww.wwildearthwines.co.nz

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

Pinot Noir from New Zealand – Otago

18.5-/20

Vibrant ruby-red colour with moderate depth, lighter on the
rim with slight purple hues. The nose is
elegant in proportion with fine and intense fragrant aromas of dark-red cherry
and berry fruit with a subtle amalgam of fresh and dark herbs and lifted
dark-red and violet florals, hints of whole bunch stalk elements and a little
spice. The aromatics form a fine
core, Medium-bodied, the palate is
refine, but possesses lush, sweet and succulent flavours of red cherries and
berries, dark-red and violet florals, with notes of herb and spice. The fruit forms a finely concentrated core
and is underlined by fine-grained tannin structure and enlivened by soft, fresh
acidity. The wine carries to a lingering
finish. This is a lusciously
sweet-fruited Pinot Noir with red cherry and berry fruit and fragrant florals
on a fine-grained palate. Match with
poultry and pork dishes, and Asian cuisine over the next 5-6 years. Hand-picked fruit from Bannockburn, fermented
with 25% whole bunches on average to 13.5% alc., the wine spending 3-4 weeks on
skins and aged 11 months in 22% new French oak barriques. 18.5-/20
Nov 2018 RRP $46.00